He tugged at it with herculean strength and forced it out of the wall.
He must work his way upward out of the reach of the water.
It was that or death!
Never before had the detective found himself in just such a place.
Traps had held him, but never a terrible trap like that one.
The first stone out, the next one yielded without so much trouble, and the third easier than the others.
It was upward now toward the fatal stairs.
Old Broadbrim stopped in his terrible climb, but not to rest long.
No doubt the water was several feet deep in the bottom of the pit.
Suddenly he heard a noise overhead.